If Only
by wonderbats
Summary: When Harry develops a new ability it proves to be more of an annoyance than an asset.
1. Protective Tendencies

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters

Author's Notes: This takes place during Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts- sometime in the middle- I hope you enjoy.

Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ronald Wesley stretched his arms in the air as he let out a long and very necessary yawn. He was sitting next to Hermione on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. After a moment, he glanced to his other best friend Harry, whom was sitting on a chair across from the couch, and motioned to the clock. They had been studying for five straight hours.

"I saw that." Hermione said, blankly, not looking up from her Transfiguration book.

"Come on Hermione!" He whined. "Don't you think it's about time we went to bed? If we don't, I'm going to fall asleep in classes tomorrow and then you're going to yell at me!" He whined even louder and dramatically buried his face in his hands, as if terrified by the idea of a lecture. Hermione and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine! You can go to bed!" Hermione teased. The three friends stood up, gathered their things and walked to the back of the room. Hermione gave each boy a kiss on the cheek and proceeded to the girl's dormitory.

Once Hermione's back was turned, Ron held up five fingers and noiselessly mouthed to Harry, "Five hours!"

"I saw that too!" Hermione yelled over her shoulder. Ron threw his hands in the air, exasperated.

"How does she do that?" He practically shouted as he and Harry made their way to their dormitory. Harry started chuckling.

"You got caught, _twice_!" He laughed, almost evilly.

"Shut up, Harry!" Ron demanded as he pushed open the door to their room. Dean, Seamus, and Neville had been sitting on their beds, laughing, but stopped the very second Ron and Harry walked in. They immediately knew what was going on. Many of the seventh year Gryffindor boys were somewhat dense, but none of them were outright stupid! They weren't blind either. It was no secret to any of them that Hermione Granger, once a bushy-haired annoyance, had become the most… attractive girl of their year. If only Dean could term it so appropriately. Many times already this year, he had gotten verbal threats and deadly glances from both Harry and Ron. They had made it a well-known fact, in the boy's dormitory at least, that there was to be no talk about "their girl" unless respectful and complimentary.

"Please, don't stop on our account." Ron said in a tense voice.

"Yes, continue with your conversation." Harry added. Dean, Seamus, and Neville looked at each other with nervous expressions on their faces. None of them knew what to do. There seemed to be only one way out.

"Good night!" All three said at the same time. They put their heads on their pillows and tried as hard as they could to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, in the girl's dormitory, Hermione was struggling with a problem of her own.

"Honestly Hermione, I just don't understand you!" Lavender explained, plopping down at the end of Hermione's bed. "Put that book down!" Lavender reached up, pulled Hermione's book from her hands and threw it on the floor.

"I agree with Lavender." Parvati said, sitting next to Lavender on Hermione's bed. "I mean, seriously, have you _looked _at either of them lately?" Hermione gave her roommates an annoyed glanced.

"I _see_ Harry and Ron everyday. It's kind of hard not to _look_ at them."

"Tell me about it!" Lavender smirked and closed her eyes. "Mmm. They're both just so cute!"

"It was obvious that Harry would be. But Ron! Who would have thought he'd grow to be so _gorgeous_!" Parvati squealed.

"Do you two mind?" Hermione exclaimed, trying to convince them to cease their conversation.

"Yes." Both girls answered.

"Come on Hermione!" Lavender smirked again. "There's no way you've noticed how hot Harry is when he has that charming Potter smirk on his face!"

"Or how cute Ron is when he blushes! And his hair! Gotta say, I'm liking the hair." Parvati said.

"It's different this year isn't it? It's styled to be… messier?"

"Sexier!"

"It's _messy _because he doesn't _brush_ it!!" Hermione practically shouted, but it fell on deaf ears.

"And the way Harry's hair falls just barely over his scar so you can't really see it." Lavender put her hand over her heart, expressing sympathy to the boy.

"Oh that is so cute! The way he tries to hide it!" Parvati squealed yet again.

"He doesn't do that on purpose!" Hermionesaid, shewas getting very annoyed now.

"Or how about when Ron…" Lavender was cut off by Hermione leaping out of bed.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted. "Stop it, right now." She repeated sharply. "Neither one of you have the slightest clue what you're talking about. I have eyes. I see Harry and Ron and I know them well enough to know what makes them hot. You obviously don't because everything you just mentioned, is nothing compared to what I've seen. I've lost myself in Harry's deep green eyes and I blush every time Ron flashes me one of his adorable smirks. And if you believe nothing else…" Her voice lowered as she finished. "Believe that the last thing I need is a couple of giggly prats telling _me_ how hot _my_ guys are. You'll do well to keep your mediocre observations to yourselves." With that, she climbed back into bed and placed her head on her pillow while Lavender and Parvati looked at each other, dumbfounded. Hermione drifted off to sleep, content in the knowledge that she would never need to have that conversation ever again.


	2. Folly at Weasley's Wizzard Wheezes

AN: Ok- I should have explained this from the beginning. The main plot of the story really comes in during this chapter. Chapter one was really sort of a prequel if you will. The purpose was basically just to show how close Harry, Ron and Hermione are and to show protective tendencies (that's important later). Now about the whole "their girl thing" maybe it's just us, but at the school I go to, you know we're all away from home and everything and a bunch of us, girls and guys, are with each other 24/7. I think it's very natural to get protective and even a little possessive in that kind of situation. Then again, I like to romanticize things and I think that kind of thing is cute… but whichever way you see it- that part isn't all that important overall.

After a full week of boring classes and grueling studying sessions with Hermione, Harry and Ron were very excited that the trip to Hogsmeade had finally arrived. They had so much to do in so little time. Ron immediately expressed his need to visit the candy shop, and Hermione desperately wanted to get to the bookstore. Harry laughed at his friend's impatience and reminded them of the stop they absolutely_ had_ to make first. So the trio marched straight passed the candy shop and the bookstore and stepped into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It was absolutely amazing! There were all kinds of fun and exciting gadgets perfectly lined up on shelves throughout the store.

"Fred and George did this?" Hermione finally spoke up. Just then George came out of the backroom, practically tripping over his own feet, to put up a new item. It didn't look like much. To any witch or wizard it would just appear to be an ordinary crystal ball. Soon after George appeared Fred came flying out after him and snatched the crystal ball from his hands.

"And what do you think you're doing!" Fred scolded. "This hasn't been tested yet."

"You're no fun at all now are you?" George teased his twin.

"I'm not putting out faulty merchandize."

"Yeah, yeah." Fred placed the crystal ball on the table and looked up to see his brother and his friends.

"Well look what we've got here." He said to his brother. "Customers!" The five friends laughed and greeted each other. Hermione soon parted from the group and began to wander about the store. Soon after, Dean and Seamus walked in, gaining Fred and George's attention. Ron and Harry took the opportunity and snuck to the back of the room to examine the crystal ball George had come out with. Ron picked it up carelessly and tossed it Harry.

"What do you suppose is so special about it?" Ron asked.

"Who knows." Harry replied, turning it around in his hand. Ron looked up from his conversation with Harry and noticed Dean talking to Seamus while motioning towards Hermione. They had caught Harry's attention by now too.

"This is getting annoying." Harry said.

"I don't even want to know what they're saying." Ron shuddered.

"Well I do!" Harry's exclaimed, his sense of integrity never faltering. Ron smirked.

"Never mind what they're saying then. If only you could hear what they're thinking!" Just then, purple clouds formed inside the crystal ball and it began to burn in Harry's hand.

"Ow!" He quickly placed it back on the shelf. "What made it mad?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Ron asked. The two watched the crystal ball for a moment longer as steam began to rise from the top of the glass. Ron's eyes bugged out of his head and he slowly turned to Harry.

"Grab Hermione and let's get out of here before this thing explodes." Harry took a few steps back, still facing the crystal ball. He noticed that as he moved away, the steam seemed to die down. He turned away, failing to notice the purple clouds still in the crystal, were getting fuller.

The rest of the day came and went. Ron got his candy, Hermione got her book, and Harry got an abnormally large headache.

"Aw!" Harry said with his hands over his forehand as he plopped down on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. "I don't like this."

"What did you do to yourself, Mate?" Ron asked, sitting in the chair besides Harry. Before he could answer, Hermione walked into the room with a damp wash towel. She laid Harry down and pressed the towel on his forehead. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Hermione."

"Anytime." She whispered softly. The three of them sat in the common room for a couple more hours before Ron helped Harry back to the boy's dormitories. Hopefully, he would feel better by morning.

Harry didn't feel any better on Sunday. In fact, he was perfectly content to just stay in bed all day.

"He has to eat." Hermione protested to Ron. After a long argument with Harry, Ron finally got him to join him and Hermione at dinner.

After eating, Hermione, Ron and Harry walked past a group of Ravenclaw girls. Ron wasn't paying attention and accidentally bumped into one of them.

'Clumsy prat!' Harry heard from one of the girls. He looked back at them disapprovingly.

"Charming girl, eh?" He asked, sarcastically.

"Harry," Hermione furrowed her brow. "She didn't say anything."

Meanwhile, back of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George were shutting down for the night. George walked towards the back of the room and picked up the crystal ball they had forgotten to put away the day before.

"Hey Fred! What do you want me to do with-" George stopped mid-sentence when took a good look at the crystal ball. It as full with purple clouds swirling about. "Oh no! FRED!"


End file.
